Madeleine McCann’s parents to fight claims they faked her disappearance

Madeleine McCann’s parents have launched a legal battle in a bid to overturn a court ruling that failed to clear them of involvement in their daughter’s disappearance.

Kate and Gerry McCann are fighting claims Madeleine’s abduction was faked, after a senior Portuguese detective penned a book that theorised the girl had died while on holiday with her family in Praia da Luz in 2007.

Detective Goncalo Amaral’s book The Truth of the Lie was published days after Portuguese police announced the parents were no longer suspects in their daughter’s disappearance.

The McCann’s won a libel case against Detective Amaral in 2015, who was ordered to fork out $585,000 in damages.

However, the ruling was revoked last year and the Supreme Court then ruled the couple were not “formally in the clear”.

Kate and Gerry MCann have lodged a formal complaint against the Supreme Court ruling, saying it was “extremely disappointing”.

There are reports the couple will consider taking their case to the European Court of Human Rights.

Related Articles

“It is eight years since we brought the action, and in that time the landscape has changed dramatically, namely there is now a joint Metropolitan Police and Policia Judiciaria investigation which is what we have always wanted,” they said in a statement.

“The police in both countries continue to work on the basis that there is no evidence Madeleine has come to physical harm.

“We will of course be discussing the implications of the Supreme Court ruling with our lawyers in due course.”